Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Zombies! A Review ;)

Zombies!
Ghost Town Jerome, AZ by Shelley McElhiney *

Feed by Mira Grant

What was the book about? Zombies :-) Well, not really. Like any good zombie movie/show/book this novel was more about the people than the zombies: society, politics, media, emotions.
Did you like or dislike it? For the most part, I liked it. Who doesn't love zombies, right? Ok, maybe it's just me...I'm a huge fan of socio-political discussion, so that didn't hurt, either. Yes, I know, that makes me a huge nerd. When this book was written, bloggers were enjoying a huge upswing in readers, commenters & followers, but that seems to have fallen off in the past year or so. Maybe it's just a lull, before another upswing, but it made for a difficult 'suspension of disbelief.' There's still a definite trend toward more of an on-line presence in terms of media, but will bloggers be a main source of news?
Who was your favorite character? I always have a hard time with this. I liked the three main characters as a team, but I don't have a favorite single character. Shaun is kind of a surfer boy, daredevil, but he also has an intelligence & an emotional side. Buffy is like a future media queen, but she's also quite intelligent & an emotional writer. George is more level headed & cool than either of them, but shares a deep bond with her brother as well as an appreciation for Buffy's poetic side.
What was your favorite part? Maybe the end where there is a hint of societal rebirth, while things are still coming apart.
What was your least favorite? There was a sadness whenever a major character was lost, even though it was probably necessary to the story, as a whole
Have you read any other books by this author? No, I don't think I have
Would you read any others because of this book? I will probably check out some of the others in this series.
Would you change anything about the book? I might edit it to shorten it a bit or break it up into more parts. It was quite a read at 571 pp
Would you recommend this book to other readers? Yes, to anyone who is into zombie media or who like me, likes exploring socio-political topics in an enjoyable read.
What surprised you the most about the book? The research into media, technology & the on-line world. These topics weren't just skimmed & played an important role in the book.
Would you ask the author a question if you could? Maybe
What would you ask? I would probably ask if they still thought that the blogging world would play such a big role, in the future.
Did you like the book from the beginning or did it take you a while to get into it? It took a while to get into (but not too long). At first I thought it would be just another adventure type book.
Were there any situations or characters in the book that you identified with? I think I identified with all three of the main characters in some way.
How? George's caution & coolness, Buffy's poetry & Shaun's sense of humor, the way they worked together, the inner intelligence & emotion.
What is the significance of the title? Feed is what zombies do, but more than that it's a media feed & even a social & political feed.
Would you have given the book a different title? No
If yes, what is your title? I can't think of a better, more succinct title.

Glasses So I Can See by Shelley McElhiney *
Have you read this book? What did you think? What have you been reading lately?

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